Resilient wheel



March -11, 1930. H. A. HOWSON 1,750,614

RESILIENT WHEEL Filed July 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 11, 1930. HOWSQNI RESILIENT WHEEL Filed July 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES HENRY ASPDE-N HOWSON, OF OSBALDESTON, NEAR BLACKBURN, ENGLAND RESILIENT E L Application filed July 18, 1929, Serial No. 378,072, and in Great Britain June 1 8 19 28.

The present invention relates to resilient wheels.

According to this invention a resilient wheel includes a cylindrical outer casing which co-operates with a floating centre plate to which the axle is either permanently or detachably secured, said floating centre plate having side faces, parallel with the axis of the wheel, which are slidably in contact with blocks or boxes capable of radial movement in guides or chambers provided in said cylindrical outer casing, springs or other resilient means being interposed between said blocks and said outer casing.

In the resilient wheel of the present invention which has a cylindrical outer casing, sliding blocks or boxes and a floating centre plate, certain faces of said blocks or boxes are capable of sliding movement relative to said outer casing whilst other faces of said blocks may slide relative to said floating centre plate.

The sides of said floating centre plate, preferably three in number although more may be employed, are each perpendicular with the faces of said plate and are equally inclined to each other.

The outer cylindrical casing may have front and back cover plates secured thereto such that the floating centre plate is re strained axially, being free to move between said plates in its own plane against spring restraint.

According also to the invention. means are provided for use in the event of" fa lure of a resilient member or any other member so as to render the wheel inoperative, whereby the loose floating centre plate may be quickly secured centrally to the said cover plates so as to form a solid non-resilient wheel which can safely'be used in a case of emergency.

The invention is more particularly dcscribed with reference to the accompanying drawings in which 2-- Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a preferred form of construction.

Figure 2 is a vertical axial section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1 of the wheel in the unloaded condition.

Figure 3 is an axial section taken along the line 3-8 of Figure 1 of the wheel in a loaded condition.

Figure 4 is a vertical axial section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1 of the wheel in a loaded condition.

A cylindrical outer casing 3 has secured thereto by means of bolts 13 or other means, front and back cover plates 4. A floating centre plate 5, securedjto the axle 8 by any sutable means, is a slidable fit between the cover plates l such that no substantially axial movement of said plate 5 is possible.

The sides of said plate 5 are formed equiangular with one another, there being three short sides 20 and three long bearing sides 21.

Formed on the inner surface of the outer casing 3' are three oil chambers 14 and three chambers 22 for the accommodation of sliding blocks or boxes 6 which are guided within said chambers 22 and are capable of radial movement within same. Located between the blocks 6 and the outer wall of the chambers 22 are springs 7 or other resilient elementswhi'ch govern the radial sliding motion of the blocks 6 in conjunction with the load on the axle. The long sides of the centre plate 5 are in slidable contact with the back faces of the blocks or boxes 6.

Thus, when the axle, due to load or shock, moves relatively to the wheel casing 3, two or all of the sliding faces 21 of the centre plate will slide along blocks 6, whilst one or more sets of the springs 7 will be subjected to a compressive load due to radial movement of said blocks.

Bolt holes 10 areprovided in the cover plates 4 and semicircular segments 17 are cut out of the short sides 20 of plate 5 such that when plate 5 is in its central position the segments 17coincide with the holes 10. Thus, in the event of breakage of a spring or of other damage to the Wheel, emergency bolts 9 may be fitted through holes 10 and segments 17 to hold the plate 5 and consequently the axle 8 in a central position relatively to the rim. Thus a solid, non-resilient Wheel is obtained for use in case of emergency. The holes 10 may be used as oil holes and dust covers 11 are provided for same. A suitable rim 2 is provided for carrying a tyre 1 which may be of any desired type, or again the rim 2 itself may be in contact with the road surface.

The device according to this invention will act not only as a resilient wheel but also as a shock absorber. If a torque be suddenly applied, in a clockwise direction for example the point 16 of the centre plate 5 can revolve through an arc of predetermined limits, so that the shock is taken up through the blocks 6 by the springs 7 which are compressed.

According to this construction, the loading of the springs or resilient means can take place only in the direction of their axes and no lateral or tangential force can be exerted on said springs due to a driving or braking torque.

A front dust cover 12 is provided to fit over flange on the front cover 4, whilst a suitable dust cover may be provided for the back cover plate in accordance with the type of brake drum fitted.

I declare that what I claim is 1. In a resilient wheel having a cylindrical outer casing and a floating center plate, the combination of sliding box elements guided in said outer casing for movement in a respective radial direction of said wheel, springs located between said box elements and said outer casing and operating to oppose outward radial movement of the respective box elements, said box elements and center plate having sliding surfaces to permit relative movement thereof in a direction at a respective right angle to the permitted radial movement of said box elements.

2. In a resilient wheel having a cylindrical outer casing and a floating center plate, said casing having at least three guide chambers formed therein, said center plate having a like number of peripheral faces thereon lon gitudinally straight in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the wheel, the combination of box elements movable in said guide chambers radially with respect to the axis of the Wheel and slidable relatively to said peripheral faces of the center plate in a direction at a respective right angle to such axial movement, and resilient means'located between said box elements and the outer casing to oppose such radial movement.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name this 27th day of May, 1929.

HENRY ASPDEN HOWSON. 

